EDIS 5882: English Education

Name: Sarah Sheffield

Context:
Date and time for which lesson will be taught: September 28, 2017 around 9:20am.
Course name: English Standard Collab
Grade level: 6
Length of lesson: 20 min
Description of setting, students, and curriculum and any other important contextual characteristics:
In this class, the students are diverse. Five of the students are white while the rest of the students are African American,
Asian American, and other minority races. There are 8 girls and 12 boys. Six of the students have IEPs. One student has
autism.

This lesson is falling in between units on text structure. After the last post-assessment, we realized that our students needed
more emphasis on main idea and understanding how a text works. We just completed a text mapping activity where the
students taped an article together so that the whole article was laid out in front of them and they marked key non-fiction text
features. This lesson will push their understanding of text features to help them work on main idea. This lesson will also
prepare them to read an article about someone who has experienced injustice or unfairness in their life. They will read
different articles and work together to discuss how empathy relates to their chosen articles.

Objectives:
Number each objective to reference in the Assessment section
SWBAT:
Cognitive (know/understand):
1. Students will know elements of non-fiction texts including headings, key words, pictures, captions, titles, and subtitles.
Affective (feel/value) and/or Non-Cognitive:
2. Students will value main idea as a pathway to understanding what they read.
Performance (do):
3. Students will be able to articulate main idea for sections of an article.
4. Students will be able to analyze text features to help them find the main idea.

SOLs: [List with numbers portrayed in the SOL document]

6.6 The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of a variety of nonfiction texts.
a) Use text structures such as type, headings, and graphics to predict and categorize information
in both print and digital texts.
g) Identify main idea.
Assessments: Methods for evaluating each of the specific objectives listed above.
Please use the sentence stems to describe your assessments. In brackets after each assessment note the number of the
objective(s) from above being assessed
Diagnostic: Students will demonstrate what they already know about by
Students will demonstrate what they already know about identifying features of non-fiction texts by marking the features
on their article that they read the day before. We will use this information to gauge how much scaffolding they need in
this lesson to get through marking the text features. If they perform well then they will be able to be more independent
when marking text features. If they are still struggling with the task, then the teachers can assist them. (1)
Formative: Students will show their progress towards by
Students will show their process towards understanding main idea by filling out a handout as we read to mark what main
ideas they decided went with each section. I will also observe the small group conversation leading to writing on the
handout. I will gauge the students' understanding based on their conversation and work on the handout. As students talk,
I will prompt them to connect what they learned about main idea to the headings and key words that they saw in the
article. Later in class, they will fill out a handout more independently, and this will show how well they really understand
main idea of sections. (3,4).
Summative: Students will ultimately be assessed (today or in a future lesson) on by...
 Students will ultimately be assessed in a future lesson on main idea and feature of non-fiction texts on their next
post-assessment in three-four weeks. (1, 3, 4)

Materials Needed:
This is just a list of the materials you will need for this lesson to occur. In the Materials Appendix below, you will include the
actual materials or links to what you will be using.
-Handouts to guide finding main idea of sections
-Class slideshow
-Copies of the article What is empathy?
Beginning Room Arrangement:
[Changes in this arrangement that become necessary later will be noted in the plan]
Students will be split into three groups, each group working through content with a teacher (Special Ed
Collaborator, Mentor Teacher, me). The group with the special ed instructor will be in our pull-out
location. My group will be gathered around a group of tables in the back of the class. The third group
will be gathered on the carpet at the front of the class.
Instructional Steps (Procedures): Detail student and teacher actions, discourse, and behaviors.
[Note: Any words that represent what you will say directly to students appear in italics. When students are speaking, indicate
your target response as well as any possible student misconceptions and/or off-the-target responses and how you will
respond to them.]

1. [5 mins.] Bridge/Hook/Opening to lesson: Anticipation Guide

As students come into the classroom, they pick up an anticipation guide from the do-now basket. They
will work on completing this anticipation guide as the announcements run. I will monitor the classroom
and help students work through their anticipation guides.
Good morning everyone! If you have not already, please pick up a do-now from the blue basket by the
door. E, can you point toward those baskets? Awesome, thank you. Go ahead and take about 3 more
minutes to work on this sheet. What you need to do is read each statement carefully and then decide how
much you agree with it. If you 100% agree, then put a 10! If you dont agree at all put a 5. If you are
somewhere in between pick a number somewhere in between that shows what you think. There are no
right answers. You do need to complete the chart. [I time for 3 more minutes. If students need more time,
then I can add 1-2 minutes of work time for them]. Ok, thank you so much for working on that. I want you
to hold onto those thoughts as we move through todays lesson. We will read an article called What is
Empathy? and after we read, you will have a chance to update your answers.
2. [3 mins.] Transition to Small Groups
We are going to move into our smaller groups now. When we move, you will only need to bring a pencil
and your do-now. What do you need to bring with you when you move? [Students respond]. Team 1 and
Team 3 [point to Teams 1 and 2] you all will be going with Ms. G to work on our next activity. Team 4
and Team 6 [Point to Team 4 and Team 6], you all will be moving to the carpet. Get a clipboard and pick
your seat when you get there. Team 2 and Team 5, you all will be working at the back table with me. Go
ahead and take 2 minutes to get yourselves to your new seat with just a pencil and your do-now.

3. [15 mins.] Small Group Lesson on Identifying Main Idea

Identify headings. Thank you all for your quick transition to this table. Were going to work on reading
an article together today that is about empathy. The handout that you did for your do-now talked a little
about empathy and you all thought about how much you agree with those statements. The article we will
read will tell us a little more about empathy today. Someone tell me what text feature tells you right away
that this article is about empathy? [I wait for responses and give feedback]. What makes you say that?
[Student who answers explains why they chose that feature]. The title is what tells us that this is about
empathy. Please go ahead and put a two-lined box around the title. A two lined box looks like this [I
model drawing a two-lined box]. The title is one of the most important text features for understanding
 what an article is about. When Im scrolling social media like facebook or reddit, I look for cool titles
that are about things Im interested in. Another important feature is the heading. The heading helps us
understand more specifically what the article will focus on. Please put a single-line box around each
heading. A single line box looks like this. [Model single line box]. Go ahead and box each heading in the
article and when youre done, put your pencils down.
Predict Each Section. Everyone point to the first word of this article. I am going to read, and then we Commented [SS1]: In this part of the lesson, students
will talk about what the beginning, or introduction, is about. [I read first three paragraphs out loud]. What work to connect the text feature, heading, to their
understanding of the text. When they see that they can
is the purpose of these paragraphs? [Students respond]. The purpose of these paragraphs is to define predict based on the section heading, then they are practicing
empathy. Ok, what is the heading of the next section? [Student reads heading.] What do you think that this their prediction skills and learning more about how non-
section will be about? [Students respond]. Ok lets find out! Read this section to yourself. Read to the next fiction texts work.
heading and stop there. Think about whether our prediction was right. [Students read]. Was our
prediction correct? [Students respond]. Yeah, our prediction was right. We used the heading to help us
predict that this section would be about managing emotions and we learned from the details in the section
that that is right. The main idea of this section is that emotional regulation is an important part of
empathy. Lets continue. What do you predict that the next section will be about? [Students respond]. Why
do you think that? [Student explains]. Lets find out! Read this section and then stop and report back.
[Students read]. Was our prediction right? [Students respond]. Ok, so we were getting there. We knew
from the heading that it depends. What we learned is that different situations or events call for different
types of empathy. Sometimes we need one type sometimes we need another. Is empathy always positive?
Do we feel the same empathy towards everyone? [Students respond]. So, the main idea of this section is
about how we feel differently for people depending on the situation. Lets continue. What do you think this
next section might be about and why do you say that? [Students respond]. Ok, lets find out. Read to
yourselves. Were we right? Ok, the main idea of this paragraph is how to measure peoples empathy. Ok,
there are three more sections. I want you to work through each section on your own. Read it carefully and
write the main idea on your handout. When youre finished, put your pencils down.
Articulate Article Main Idea. Now that we have read the whole article, what would you say the main
idea of the whole article is? [Students respond and I give feedback helping them distinguish between a
main idea and a supporting detail.]
4. [3 mins] Closure: Return to Anticipation Guide Commented [SS2]: The use of the anticipation guide
On your own, take two-three minutes to go back to the anticipation guide and reevaluate how much you helps students connect with meaning of the text. At the
beginning of class, it activated their knowledge and
agree or disagree with each statement. If you changed your number, please put a star beside that one. If understanding of the topic. At the end of reading, it helped
you changed your mind or your number, put a star beside that one. [If time, we will share ones that we them practice using what they read to inform decisions about
changed our minds about]. what they think.

Attention to Individual Student Needs: (Differentiation):

Detail specific actions/materials you will use to differentiate instruction in this lesson. Use specific student names when
appropriate
Because of the needs of this class, we will be working in three small groups, making the most of the
teacher support available in the class. This will give students more attention and more opportunities to
respond. It will also help us learn more about where each of our students are as individual learners in
this process. I am picking two specific teams to go with the special educator because they have specific
behaviors and learning needs that she works really well with. There are some students with IEPs staying
behind in the classroom as well. Each time we work in small groups, we change it up so that the students
dont feel like they are always with the same teacher.
I will print copies of an organizer to help the groups work through each section to help scaffold the
following activity. We will not be using this organizer in the advanced classes, so we are differentiating
for the learners who need more support leading up to independent work.
Technology Use:
Detail specific technology being used in the lesson with explanation for why it is being used.
Google Drive for slides to help keep track of where we are in the lesson.
Projector so that students can see whats up.
Materials Appendix:
Include the actual materials or links to what you will be using. If you are using a handout or a PowerPoint, or giving a quiz,
etc., these documents (or links to them) must be included. (see the list above)
1. Handout
2. Google Slides
Appendix C:
Empathy is the ability to share and understand the feelings, or emotions, of others.

There are three different ways to think of empathy. First, there is affective empathy. This is the
ability to share the emotions of others. For example, someone watching a scary movie may feel
scared when a character is scared.

Second, there is cognitive empathy. This is the ability to understand the feelings of others. A
good example is a counselor. Counselors may understand that someone they are speaking to is
sad, but that does not mean the counselor becomes sad.

The Ability To Control Your Emotions

Finally, there is emotional regulation. This refers to the ability to control ones emotions. For
example, doctors need to control their emotions when doing surgery on a patient. They cannot
be afraid of hurting them or sad for them because they are sick.

Empathy is not the same thing as copying how someone else feels. It is also not sympathy,
which involves feeling concern for the suffering of another person and a desire to help.

There may be physical differences between people with different levels of empathy. Their
brains may be slightly different.

It Really Depends On The Situation

Empathy is important to surviving. It helps humans respond appropriately to different
situations.

Empathy may not always be positive. For example, strong positive empathy feelings for
members of our own family might lead to negative emotions like hate toward those we see as a
threat. We may also feel too much empathy for our own groups. For instance, people might feel
more empathy for people who look or act like them. People who are good at reading others
emotions might also trick other people for their own benefit.

Measuring Stick
Empathy is often measured with surveys. These typically ask people to tell how much they
agree with certain statements. They might say they strongly agree or they disagree. One
statement might be, "It affects me very much when one of my friends is upset." This would
measure how much affective empathy someone normally feels.

Emotional Ties To Group, Family

In life, we are part of many groups. This could be a family, a culture, or a race. We typically feel
more empathy for members of our own group.

Researchers wanted to know whether people felt more empathy for people who were the same
race as them. They got a group of participants together. Some were white and others were
Chinese. The people who participated watched videos of each other in pain. The researchers
looked at their brain movements. Their brains reacted less when they saw members of the
other group in pain.

We also feel less empathetic when people who act unfairly are in pain. People even experience
pleasure when a sports team they do not like fails.

Less Empathy Toward An Enemy

In some situations, it could be helpful to feel less empathy. For example, when fighting a war, it
might be better to feel less empathy. Soldiers who feel a lot of empathy might have emotional
problems when they are home from war.

My research team did a study that asked people to watch videos from a violent video game. In
the game, a person was either shooting at innocent people or enemy soldiers. While watching
the videos, people had to pretend they were hurting real people.
People felt like they were harming others when they shot at innocent people. However, they did
not feel that way when people shot the soldier that was trying to kill them.

The study shows us how people control their emotions. The study also might help show how
people become used to violence. It could also explain why some people feel more or less guilty
about hurting other people.

Wide Range Of Emotions

Still, we do not always feel less empathy for those who arent members of our own group. In
our recent study, some students had to give money to students from the same or a different
university. Other students had to give electric shocks to students from the same or a different
university. People felt better about rewarding members of their own group. However, they felt
equally bad about harming both groups.

We understand these results in our daily life. Usually, we feel happier if our own group
members win something. Still, we are unlikely to harm other people just because they belong to
a different group.

Our brain has evolved to be able to quickly change in different types of situations. Having
empathy is very useful. It often helps to understand others so we can help or trick them.
Sometimes, though, we need to be able to switch off our empathetic feelings to protect our own
lives and those of others.

In Retrospect (to be completed after the lesson has been taught):

Reflect on the lesson after you taught it. Was there anything that surprised you? Discuss your students reactions and
behaviors to the activities you planned. Is there anything that you would do differently if you were to teach this again? What
would you do?